Three Kingdoms: Heir of Wolong, my father-in-law is Guan Gong

Compared with generals such as Zhang Fei and Ma Chao, Guan Yu, who once stood on his own, had a deeper understanding of the overall strategic situation.

Cao Rui was a qualified emperor and had enough courage to divert the internal conflicts of the Pseudo-Wei.

however.

Perhaps the Cao family has committed too many sins.

Both of Cao Rui's sons died young.

If Cao Rui died without an heir, it would be a fatal blow to the Wei regime!
Either Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi would take advantage of the opportunity to fight for power, or Sima Yi, Chen Qun and others would support an obedient member of the royal family.

No matter what the outcome, the Pseudo-Wei will fall into civil strife.

Just like after Yuan Shao's death, the brothers Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang fought for power.

Guan Yu is worthy of being a former great general and the number one person guarding Jingzhou. His vision and insight are far more sharp than those of ordinary people.

"How does Yunchang plan to catch this little tiger Cao Rui?" Liu Bei also looked at Guan Yu with excitement.

If Cao Rui is eliminated, who else can take charge of the overall situation in the pseudo-Wei?

So what if the land is vast and the population is large?
Without a backbone, the Pseudo-Wei was just a group of loose sand.

"wait!"

Guan Yu's word "wait" made Liu Bei and everyone else more confused.

Zhang Fei shouted, "Second brother, if you have something to say, just say it."

Guan Yu smiled but said nothing.

Seeing this, Liu Bei seemed to understand: "Yun Chang is waiting for Bo Song?"

Guan Yu nodded and stroked his beautiful beard: "Just leave the stressful matters to Bosong."

Guan Yu proposed the strategic goal, and Zhuge Qiao came up with the strategic plan.

The main focus is on clear division of labor!
Zhang Fei shouted again: "Second brother, Bo Song is also my son-in-law! How can I let Bo Song worry about this matter again?"

Just when Zhang Fei was about to argue with Guan Yu about how to be a good father-in-law, Dong Hui came from Xuzhou and delivered a secret letter from Zhuge Qiao.

Liu Bei checked the secret letter and was slightly surprised: "Bo Song led his troops to Langya?"

Zhang Fei was surprised: "How could it be so fast? Bosong was still in Shouchun last month, how come he suddenly went to Langya?"

"How many troops did he bring?"

Dong Hui said: "Two months ago, General Fu Han secretly mobilized the scattered Wudang Flying Army, Cang Yi Army and Jie Fan Army to go to Langya."

"A month ago, General Fu Han requisitioned warships from various ports in Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and transported military equipment, money, food and other supplies to Xia Pi."

"As soon as the news of Cao Rui's sending out five armies spread out, General Fu Han sent his warships to Langya."

"Considering that the water routes of Yanxu are not as good as those of Jingyang, General Fu Han did not use large ships, but only 8,000 small and medium-sized warships."

"General Fu Han said that it is time to avenge Cao Cao's massacre of Xuzhou."

When Liu Bei heard that "Cao Cao massacred people in Xuzhou", his heart trembled and he recalled the past events.

a long time.

Liu Bei took a long breath, his eyes becoming more fierce: "Bo Song has sent his troops into Langya, Cao Rui's deployment of 50,000 troops must be changed."

"Zhang Fei, listen to my orders!"

"You lead 10,000 soldiers to Luoyang as soon as possible to assist the Prime Minister and Gongsi in resisting Zhang He and Cao Zhang."

Seeing that Liu Bei's tone left no room for doubt, Zhang Fei was also startled and accepted the military order.

"Guan Yu, listen to my orders!"

"You lead 10,000 infantry and cavalry into Chen County and hold Cao Xiu in Chen County. Do not let him return easily."

"The rest of you, follow me to attack Cao Zhen."

"Dong Hui, go back and tell Bo Song that I will handle the main force, and let him take the credit for capturing and killing Cao Rui in Juancheng."

Liu Bei's heroic spirit reappears.

No matter how many armies you have, if you want to fight, just fight. How could the soldiers of the Han Dynasty be afraid and retreat?
Dong Hui returned to Langya overnight.

By the time they arrived in Langya, Zhuge Qiao's vanguard Wudang Flying Army had already captured Hua and Fei counties in Taishan County, and marched into Rencheng County, directly threatening Juancheng.

Zhuge Qiao's thunderous attack really shocked Cao Rui.

"How come it's so fast?"

Not long after Sima Yi was transferred to Chenliu for support, Zhuge Qiao acted like a tiger out of a cage, as if he had been waiting for Sima Yi to leave!
Although Cao Rui did not conceal the intention of sending troops this time, he had a certain understanding of the Han Dynasty's troop deployment before the expedition.

Zhuge Qiao, who was far away in Shouchun, had to go north through Yuzhou even if he wanted to send troops.

He suddenly appeared in Langya County and appeared in Yanzhou with lightning speed, which made Cao Rui unbelievable.

Thinking of Zhuge Qiao's usual style of surprise attacks, Cao Rui felt relieved again.

"Zhuge Qiao, this is directed at me."

Cao Rui was not panicked.

In Juancheng, Cao Rui also deployed heavy troops.

Cao Rui summoned the Grand Chamberlain Zhuge Ke, took Zhuge Ke's hand and said:

"My dear, I know very well that you really want to compete with Zhuge Qiao."

“Now is the opportunity.”

"If you can stop Zhuge Qiao's attack in Dongping, your reputation will surely spread throughout Wei."

Zhuge Ke was terrified and said, "Your Majesty, if I lead the army, I am afraid I will not be able to convince the people."

Cao Rui smiled and said, "I have given you military power, who dares not to obey?"

Zhuge Ke shook his head: "Your Majesty, I am Zhuge Qiao's elder brother after all. Once someone in the army questions my military orders, it will be easy for Zhuge Qiao to find the flaws."

"My defeat is a minor matter, but the impact on your majesty's plans is a major one."

No matter how Cao Rui tried to appease him, Zhuge Ke was always unwilling to lead his troops to Dongping State.

Seeing that Zhuge Ke refused, Cao Rui stopped forcing him.

He changed the order and appointed Cao Ren's son Cao Tai as the chief general, and led Cao Kai, Zhang Hu, Xu Gai, Le Chen, Shi Jing, Han Rong and other generals to enter Dongping State to resist Zhuge Qiao.

At the same time, he ordered Zhuge Dan and Zhuge Xu to station troops in Cheng County to prevent Zhuge Qiao from dividing his troops to take Juancheng.

Cao Rui's response was very cautious.

however.

Not long after Cao Tai left Juancheng, his whereabouts were discovered by Zhuge Qiao.

"Cao Rui did not recall Sima Yi. He wanted to use the terrain of Dongping to delay my offensive and buy time for the five armies."

“You are really confident.”

"It's a pity that you don't understand Brother Yuanxun."

Zhuge Qiao's expression of regret revealed Zhuge Ke's position in the Pseudo-Wei.

True.

Zhuge Ke was unwilling to be outdone by Zhuge Qiao.

At the beginning, Zhuge Ke wanted to gain promotion by making achievements in the Pseudo-Wei Dynasty, and then compete with Zhuge Qiao.

However, Zhuge Ke was quite disappointed by the Nine-Rank System of the Wei Dynasty.

Zhuge Ke's background determined that it would be difficult for him to hold a high position in the Pseudo-Wei in the future. Even if Cao Rui promoted Zhuge Ke to the position of Palace Attendant, it would not be easy for him to get promoted.

Take Liu Ye for example. When Cao Cao was alive, Liu Ye was known as a talented person who could assist the world. He served through three generations of Cao Cao, Cao Pi and Cao Rui, and made many contributions and hard work.

however.

Until now, Liu Ye was only a small Marquis of Dongting, with a fief of only 300 households.

The reason for this is simple.

Liu Ye is a descendant of the Han Dynasty!
This background determined that Liu Ye could not hold a high position and control military and political power like Sima Yi and Chen Qun.

In other words.

Liu Ye could only be the emperor's dog all his life and could not truly participate in and decide the state affairs of the pseudo-Wei.

After seeing the ending of Liu Ye and other famous officials with questionable family backgrounds like Liu Ye, Zhuge Ke naturally lost his good impression of the Pseudo-Wei.

If Zhuge Ke really wanted to consider the Pseudo-Wei, he would not have encouraged Cao Rui to send troops.

Diverting internal conflicts was just an excuse Zhuge Ke used to guide Cao Rui to send troops.

The same is true for his refusal to lead troops for Cao Rui to resist Zhuge Qiao.

Unable to convince the public?

Under the stimulation of Zhuge Qiao, Zhuge Ke pacified the Shanyue and commanded the troops for Sun Quan when he was just a teenager. Why would he worry about not being able to win the support of the people?
The reason is that Cao Rui could not give Zhuge Ke what he wanted!

in contrast.

Zhuge Qiao can give Zhuge Ke what he wants!

[He fought for Sun Quan in the world. After all, he was Sun Quan's son-in-law. In the future, he could become an important official in the court of Soochow.

If Cao Rui were to conquer the world, even if he destroyed the Han Dynasty, he would inevitably end up being abandoned after his running dogs were cooked.

What's more, you are not even qualified to be a general of the pseudo-Wei now.

Instead of this, why should we brothers fight each other? Let's destroy the false Wei and fight the Hu people.

At our age, can't we accomplish the feat of Fenglangjuxu or engraving a stone tablet at Yanran? 】

This is part of the secret letter from Zhuge Qiao to Zhuge Ke.

In view of the injustice suffered by the Pseudo-Wei and the growing strength of the Han Dynasty, Zhuge Ke gave up the idea of ​​using the Pseudo-Wei to compete with Zhuge Qiao.

He used Man Chong to meet Cao Rui, and together with Zhuge Rong, he described a false future to Cao Rui.

It can be said.

Cao Rui sent troops in five directions this time. Rather than saying that Cao Rui wanted to divert internal conflicts, it would be more accurate to say that Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Ke conspired to instigate Cao Rui to send troops.

If Cao Rui doesn't send troops, this turtle shell will not move.

As soon as Cao Rui sent out his troops, the turtle was like being stripped of its shell and was completely within Zhuge Qiao's firepower range.

Dongping State.

Cao Tai led Cao Kai, Zhang Hu, Xu Gai, Le Chen, Shi Jing, Han Rong and others and hurried forward.

As the second generation of the Cao family.

Whether it is the two clan members Cao Tai and Cao Kai, or the descendants of foreign generals such as Zhang Hu, Xu Gai, Le Chen, Shi Jing and Han Rong.

They are all direct descendants of the Cao family who are absolutely loyal.

however.

The only thing left of this group of second-generation Cao family members is their loyalty.

Neither Cao Ren's two sons, Cao Tai and Cao Kai, nor the sons of the Five Elite Generals Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and Le Jin inherited their fathers' bravery and wisdom.

It is generally difficult for the descendants of generals who were born in humble circumstances to become successful.

This was true of the Pseudo-Wei and the Han Dynasty as well.

Guan Yu was very brave, but his sons were only mediocre in talent.

Even Zhuge Liang's son Zhuge Zhan became a waste in the name of his father.

Our fathers are powerful because they all emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

In the mountains and forests.

Wang Ping led the Wudang flying army to hide there.

After following Zhuge Qiao in battles for ten years, Wang Ping is no longer the illiterate guard general he once was.

Today, Wang Ping is a true general who can skillfully command 10,000 Wudang Flying Army!

With the growth of Wang Ping, Ma Zhong, Ju Fu, Zhang Yi and other former core generals of the Wudang Flying Army, Zhuge Qiao is no longer responsible for the command of troops below 10,000.

The Wudang Flying Army was handed over to Wang Ping, the Cang Yi Army was handed over to Ma Zhong, the Jiefan Army was handed over to Ju Fu, and Zhang Yi was in charge of the personal soldiers.

Although they are Zhuge Qiao's personal soldiers, when it comes to going to the battlefield, they are no pushovers either.

As we all know, personal guards are not ceremonial guards.

All those who could serve as Zhuge Qiao's personal soldiers were elite soldiers who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Whether it is food or weapons and equipment, they are all the best.

If you were to give a name to your personal soldiers, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to use "divine sword soldiers".

This is because Zhuge Qiao's personal soldiers used a magic sword that was made by the famous Han craftsman Pu Yuan using water from the Shu River to temper the sword. The sword could cut through iron like mud!

And the lamellar armor which is equivalent to the castrated version of the Song Dynasty infantry armor.

When Zhuge Qiao tricked Ding Feng into joining the vanguard camp, he said that there were 500 sets of such armor.

This is not an exaggeration.

Zhuge Qiao is real!
It’s just that on normal days the personal soldiers wear outer robes, so it’s difficult for outsiders to see.

With soldiers and generals, as well as sophisticated weapons and equipment, Zhuge Qiao only needed to issue military orders more often than to personally execute specific tactics, such as the ambush on Cao Tai this time.

It is enough to give the military order to Wang Ping!
"General, the mountain path ahead is narrow. You cannot walk fast, for fear of an ambush by enemy soldiers." Le Chen looked at the dense bushes and the narrow mountain path, then turned around to remind Cao Tai.

Cao Tai disagreed: "General Le, don't worry about nothing."

"Although Zhuge Qiao led his troops to attack Taishan County and Rencheng State, no matter how powerful the Han dogs are, they are still human. Can they fly to Dongping State to ambush us?"

Le Chen said cautiously: "The surprise attack on Taishan County and Rencheng State was carried out by Zhuge Qiao's most powerful army, the Wudang Flying Army."

"Wudang's flying army is the best at marching, even better than Xiahou's expedition to the west in the past."

"You must be careful!"

Zhang Hu on the side said with a smile: "General Le, although the Wudang Flying Army marches fast, our army has been at a standstill all the way from Juancheng."

“No matter how fast a tiger or leopard is, it must first know where its prey is before it can attack it by surprise.”

"Could it be that the Wudang Flying Army, far away in Rencheng Country, could accurately detect our army's marching route and ambush us in the narrow area ahead in advance?"

Le Chen was choked with anger.

What Zhang Hu said makes sense.

Unless someone informed on them, it would be almost impossible for the Wu Dang Flying Army to set up an ambush in advance.

It was just that his battlefield instincts made him more cautious: "That being said, we still have to be on guard."

"The main forces of our army are in Chenliu, confronting Liu Bei. If Zhuge Qiao were to destroy Dongping, your majesty's safety would be threatened."

"Then the Chenliu frontline will have to withdraw its troops and return to defend."

"One move can affect the entire body, so we must be cautious."

Cao Tai refuted: "If we encounter a narrow place, we must be cautious. Before we could seize the strategic position, Dongping State was seized by Zhuge Qiao."

"Don't be suspicious, march quickly."

There is nothing wrong with Cao Tai's idea.

The Han soldiers attacked quickly. If we could not quickly seize the dangerous terrain and allow the Han soldiers to enter the plains of Dongping State, it would be difficult to stop them.

When fighting outside the city, whoever can seize advantageous terrain first will have the upper hand.

Unfortunately.

What Cao Tai didn't know was that his whereabouts had been leaked by Zhuge Ke since he left Juancheng.

See this.

Wang Ping acted decisively and, when Cao Tai's army had just reached half its strength, he launched a surprise attack with 10,000 Wu Dang flying troops.

Directly split Cao Tai’s army into two halves.

A large number of crossbow arrows came in like an overwhelming force.

On this narrow road, the killing intensity of Zhuge Liannu was enhanced.

A sudden crossbow arrow swept across the ground, directly knocking Cao Tai unconscious.

Han Rong was the first to be hit and was shot through by the crossbow arrows.

Zhang Hu and Xu Gai were also shot and wounded on the spot.

"There really is an ambush?"

"This is impossible!"

"Why can Han Gou know my whereabouts!"

Cao Tai looked unwillingly into the depths of the forest.

However, Cao Tai could not see who was in command in the mountains and forests. He only saw ruthless crossbow arrows reaping the lives of the pseudo-Wei soldiers.

"General, retreat quickly, there must be spies from the Han army!" Le Chen came to Cao Tai holding an iron shield and shouted loudly.

Cao Tai drew his sword and cried bitterly: "I regret not listening to the general's advice. I am ashamed of your majesty's trust!"

The 20,000-strong army suffered a crushing defeat before even leaving Dongping State.

This made Cao Tai unable to hold back the thought of committing suicide.

Le Chen urged: "General, you must not commit suicide unless you are defeated in battle!"

"The most urgent task is to return to Juancheng as soon as possible, eliminate the spies, and help Your Majesty defend the city."

"The main forces of our army are in Chenliu, and we can send troops to help at any time."

Under Le Chen's persuasion, Cao Tai gave up the idea of ​​committing suicide and led the remaining troops to Juancheng.

Wang Ping did not pursue Cao Tai, but instead focused on encircling and killing Cao Kai, Shi Jing and other generals who were cut off.

Cao Tai ran fast in the rear army, but Cao Kai in the front army was not so lucky.

After several charges and kills.

Cao Kai was hit by a stray arrow and died on the spot.

Shi Jing also failed to break out of the encirclement and was shot to death by arrows.

The main and deputy generals of the front army were both killed, Cao Tai ran away again, and the remaining pseudo-Wei soldiers also lost their ability to resist and knelt down to surrender.

"Quickly send this battle report to General Fu Han!"

"Remove the weapons from these captives and take them to persuade the counties of Dongping to surrender."

Wang Ping gave the order coldly, already showing some of the demeanor of Zhuge Qiao in the past.

During this time.

Sima Yi in Chenliu also obtained information that Zhuge Qiao had captured Taishan and Rencheng.

"Your Majesty is impulsive!"

Sima Yi sighed upon hearing this.

From the very beginning, Sima Yi was against sending troops.

However, Cao Rui was more decisive than Cao Pi, and once he made a decision, he would not change it because of Sima Yi.

Even Sima Yi had no choice but to lead his troops to Chenliu to confront Liu Bei.

Sima Shi comforted him, "Father, don't worry. Although Zhuge Qiao has sent troops to Mount Tai, Your Majesty also has troops in Juancheng."

"Even in the worst case scenario, Zhuge Qiao's troops would just besiege Juancheng."

"With the troops in Juancheng, it is more than enough to defend the city."

Sima Yi's face was solemn: "No matter how strong a city is, it is easy to burst from the inside."

"Your Majesty has been too fond of the brothers Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong recently."

Sima Shi said: "Father, are you worried about Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong and are you trying to feign surrender?"

"But Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong were not ministers of the Pseudo-Han regime. There is no benefit for them to surrender falsely."

"What's more, their families are now in Yecheng. How could they abandon their wives and children just to pretend to surrender?"

Sima Yi paced and pondered.

a long time.

Sima Yi let out a long sigh.

“That’s what worries me the most.”

"Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong left their families in Yecheng, which qualified them to be your Majesty's confidants."

"As long as Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong do not openly do anything that harms the interests of the Wei Dynasty, Your Majesty will have full trust in Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong."

"During this period, the noble families in Wei have been wantonly annexing lands, and the Sima family members in Hanoi have also made such moves."

"Your Majesty is wary of the Sima family!"

"If Zhuge Ke secretly leaked the military secrets and then put the blame on someone else, I'm afraid there would be a bloody storm in the court."

Think of this.

Sima Yi said again: "Ziyuan, you lead a group of soldiers back to Juancheng. If it is true as I guessed, there will be changes in Juancheng."

Sima Shi said: "Father, I think it is better not to lead the troops back."

Sima Yi raised his eyes and asked, "Why did Ziyuan say that?"

Sima Shi glanced around and leaned closer to say, "Father, your Majesty went against all odds to send troops this time because he was dissatisfied with the aristocratic families in the court who were monopolizing power and seeking profits."

"If my father does not send me back to Juancheng without an imperial decree, Your Majesty will not only not be grateful to my father, but will become even more suspicious of him."

"I think that father should focus on supporting the four armies and obey your majesty's orders."

Sima Yi was silent.

What Sima Shi could see, Sima Yi could also see.

But if we do so, we will be passive in the military.

"That's all."

"let it go!"

"Ziyuan, prepare your troops and be ready to respond to His Majesty's orders at any time."

Sima Yi finally gave up the idea of ​​deploying in advance.

Cao Rui is not Liu Bei.

The current situation of the Pseudo-Wei could not tolerate Sima Yi's private deployment of troops.

more importantly.

Sima Yi dispatched troops to Juancheng. If the other four armies failed, they would be blamed on Sima Yi.

If that happens, Sima Yi will be unpopular both inside and outside!

Cao Tai and Le Chen fled back to Juancheng in panic.

Upon hearing that Cao Tai had been defeated and his generals' lives or deaths were unknown, Cao Rui was furious.

"Cao Tai, you are unworthy of your father's spirit in heaven!"

"You have been in the military for a long time. Don't you understand such simple principles as being on guard against ambushes in narrow places?"

"Pull it down, cut it!"

Cao Tai lowered his head and said nothing, allowing the executioner to hold his arm.

Le Chen urged urgently: "Your Majesty, calm down!"

"We were defeated, not because of our own fault, but because someone leaked military secrets."

"Otherwise, the Han dogs would not have been able to ambush our army on the route that they must take through Dongping."

Cao Rui glared and asked, "Who leaked the military secrets?"

Le Chen bowed his head and said, "I don't know."

Cao Rui was almost laughing with anger: "You are still looking for excuses after your defeat. How could Le Jin, who was so brave, give birth to such a useless son!"

An army of 20,000 went to resist Zhuge Qiao, but was defeated before they even left Dongping State. The reason was that someone leaked military secrets. Cao Rui was so angry that he almost laughed.

Just as Cao Rui ordered Cao Tai and Le Chen to be beheaded, Zhuge Ke leaned over and pleaded, "Your Majesty, what the two generals said makes sense."

"The current situation is unclear, and it is possible that some people will secretly join the Han dogs."

"If we kill Generals Cao Tai and Le Chen, wouldn't that person who leaked the information applaud us?"

"Why not temporarily detain the two generals as a sign of your majesty's mercy?"

"If there really is a leaker in Juancheng, he would surely be gloating over the arrest of the two generals and reveal his flaws."

"The Han dog won by chance this time. I expect him to come and attack Juancheng again."

"Leaving two generals here can help your majesty resist the Han dogs."

There was a little more gratitude in Cao Tai's eyes when he looked at Zhuge Ke.

Le Chen's expression was complicated.

In fact, Le Chen had already suspected Zhuge Ke in his heart.

It was just because of Cao Rui's trust in Zhuge Ke that he did not speak.

He originally wanted to tell Cao Rui in private, but he never expected that Zhuge Ke would turn around and plead for Cao Tai and Le Chen, and even analyze the leaker in detail.

How could Cao Rui doubt Zhuge Ke?

really.

After hearing Zhuge Ke's analysis, Cao Rui's anger subsided a lot, and he shouted at Cao Tai and Le Chen, "If it weren't for Yuan Xun's plea, I would have executed both of you today."

"You can escape the death penalty, but you can't escape the punishment of life imprisonment. You two should go to prison and reflect on your actions!"

Le Chen sighed secretly and pulled Cao Tai away.

Cao Rui was worried: "Yuan Xun, now that Cao Tai has been defeated, I have lost 20,000 troops, and there are less than 10,000 defenders in the city. What should I do?"

Zhuge Ke thought for a while and said, "There is plenty of money and food in Juancheng, and a few thousand garrison troops are enough."

"Your Majesty, why don't you take this opportunity to test the reaction of the troops?" (End of this chapter)